Pipe connection.



H. MUELLER.

PIPE CONNECTION.

APPLIUATIOH HLBL JUNI: 19, 190e. BBNEWBD SEPT. 5, 190s.

931,950. Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

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PIPE CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Application'led .Tune 19, 1906, Serial No. 322,488. Renewed September 5, 1908. SerialNo. 451,856.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY MUELLER, a resident of the cityI Aof Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois,`"ha`ve `invented certain new and useful Improvements lin Pipe Connections, of which the followingis vThis invention relates to water distribution, and more especially to detachable pipe couplings and its object is to produce a pipe connection whereby the gasket between'the connected members will be compressed both longitudinally and'toward .the axis in the act of making the coupling, but neither member nor the compressible portion of the gasket will be unduly distorted.

-One embodiment of this idea is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the following specification, both detailing its use as between an elbow and the stem or shank of a cock although-it will be clear that other tubular members could be coupled by my pipe connection. A

In said drawings, Figure lis` an elevation of the elbow and stem slightly separated from each other, and of all parts of this pipe coupling as they appear immediately before the connection is made; FigfQ is a section through the complete-coupling after the connection is made; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end of the' elbow with the asket in place; and Fig. 4 is a. detail in side elevation showing the joint-ring and sustaining ring which comprise that form of the gasket preferably employed in this connection.

As shown in the drawings, the elbow member comprises a pipe section 1, and an elbow proper` having one extremity 2 conjoined.

with or secured around the pipe section l, a bend 3 in its body. and a joint-forming end 4 which is flat on its extremity where it is preferably provided with an exterior flange 5; and inv the commercial manufacture of this elbow it may be of rather thin material. The stem I7 (which may be the shank of a cock, not shown) is illustrated in the drawings as havingits extremity threaded externally and flared internally, and .it will be clear that the pitch and length of the flaring portion may be variedwithin reasonable limits from what are shown. Exterior means are provided for approximating the coupling members, and when constructed as above described and as shown in the drawings I will employ a coupling nut or other sti" and thin? 6 having internal threads to engage those upon the stem and at one end an internal shoulder to enga e the flange 5 on the elbow.

e lfVith the vmem rs to be coupled I employ a gasket of which one form is illustrated in Fig. 4 and is elsewhere shown inthe drawings. By preference it consists of a jointble metal, having a cylindrical bore through which extends a sustaining ring 9 of brass metal sufficiently strong to withstand inward ressure which might crush it'and sullicient y long to provide an extension 9a vthat projects beyond one end of the j oint-ring as shown. The latter may have its exterior tapered, and byY preference it is made conical as shown or otherwise shaped so that in assembling the partsv it will enter the llared extremity of the stem 7 and its larger or flattened end will rest against the member 4: orjagainst its flange 5 if the coupling means be such as to require a flange. The external diameter of the extension 9El preferably conforms with the internal diameter of the member having a cylindrical bore, which is the elbow 4 as shown in Fig. 2; and when said extension is manually inserted therein the entire gasket is held frictionally in placepreparatory to making a connection as shown in the drawings. The elbow is larger in internal dialneter than the pipe section l, as also is the sustaining ring 9, and hence the capacity of said pipe section is not restricted bythe use of this gasket.

In making a connection, the gasket isjput in place by manually inserting the extension 9a into the elbow as shown, and the hands of the operator are then lefty free to bring the stem 7 and coupling nut 6 into position and properly manipulate the partsthus lessening the liability of dropping the gasket during the' operation. As the members are approximated, the flaring extremity of the stem engages the exterior of the joint ring 8, and whatever the shape of the latter it will be compressed inward around and upon the sustain-ing ring 9 by reason of such flare and will also be compressed longitudinally against the end ofthe elbow member 4 or its ange 5 if one be there employed. Meanwhile the sustaining ring serves the purpose of withstanding this pressure and resisting collapse of the joint-ring, and its extension also holds the joint-ring alined .ring 8 of lead or some other easily compressiflaring with tli'e elbow and strengthens thelatter if it be of thin material. As the members a proach each other the soft joint ring will e distorted somewhat from 1ts original exterior shape, although its interior will remain c lindrical by reason of its close fit around t e sustainin ring, and the latter may be moved or sli slightly into the bore of that member which its extension frictionally engagesasabovedescribed. Finallythepartsassume the position shown in Fig.2, from which it will be seen that the compression of the 'oint-ring has-been radially inward and also longitudinal; but if it were soft enough and the a proximation of the members were suiicient y powerful, it is clear that such portion of the joint-ring as did not enter the extremit of the stem might be distende outwar within the coupling, althou h I do not consider this an objectionable eature. Ordinarily, however, the parts come to rest in about the relative osition shown in Fig. 2; and it will be seen t at this connection increases the facility of mani ulation, is adapted for use with stems of different bores or flares and with elbows or equivalent members with or without the flange, and may be employed with coupling means other than as herein specifically shown and described. It is important to note, also, that while the exterior of the joint ring is preferably vtapered or conical,l it is not necessarily so when the extremity of one of the coupling members is flared, because it is ythe iiare and the sustaining ring which produce the inward compression of tlre joint ring if any part of the latter be small enough to enter the flared extremity.

The gist of thepresent invention was included in an a plication bearing Serial Number 322488, Eled by me June 19, 1906, of which the present application is a renewal; in another application filed .contem-f poraneously with the present one and bearing Serial Number 451,544 I illustrate and describe Variations in the forms of the several parts of this pipe connection whereby the compression of the joint-ring is longitudinal, or lon itudinally and radially outward instead 0% i'nward; and in yet another application filed September 10, 1908, and bearing Serial Number 452,448 I illustrate and describe Variations in the form and structure of a gasket embodying these general ideas but adapted for use with pipe sections or members having meet-ing extremities of a Variety of shapes and sizes, whereby each gasket is intended to fit them all.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A connection for hard metal pipes comprising a member ared internally at its' extremity, a second member having al flat extremity, external means for approximat' sion beyond one end thereof fitting slidably withinthe bore of one of said members.

` 2. A connection for hard metal pipes comprising a member iared internally at its extremity, a second member internally cylindric at its extremity, an exterior cou ling for approximating said members, a 'yie ding joint-ring interposed between said members and shaped to enter the first and abut against the end of the second, and a stiff sustaining ring within the joint-rinof and extending beyond one end thereof with its projecting end adapted to be manually inserted and frictionally held' in the member having a cylindric extremity.

3. A connection for hard metal pipes comprisin an externally threaded member internalIy flared at its connecting end, a second member having an exterior right-angular flange at its extremity, a coupling nut having threads to fit those on the first-mentioned member and an Kinternal ri ht-angular shoulder swiveled on the secon member behind its ange, a yielding joint-ring having one end adapted to rest against said flange and a tapered exterior adapted to fit said flaring end, and a stiif sustaining ring fitting within the joint-ring and extending from a point substantially Hush with its smaller end, tlirou h its body and beyond its larger end, am? fitting /slidably within the bore of said flanged member.

4. In a pipe connection, lthe combination with a pipe section, an elbow having one extremity secured rigidly around the end of the pipe section, and 'a stem internally flared at its extremity; of an exterior couplin for vapproximating the connecting ends o the elbow and stem, a yielding conical joint-ring having its larger end resting against the ex'l tremity of the elbow and its ta ered`body engagin the flaring portion o the stem, and a stift" sustaininfr rin fitting within the joint-ring and extending eyond it into said elbow, the bore of this ring being larger than that of said pipe section.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. HENRY ,MUELLER Witnesses:

FRANK W. CninxsHANx, J oHN L. WADDELL. 

